Washington Post-ABC News Poll

This Washington Post-ABC News poll was conducted by telephone January 13-16, 2009, among a random national sample of 1,079 adults (landline and cell-only respondents), including additional interviews with randomly-selected African Americans, for a total of 204 black respondents. The results from the full survey have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points. Error margins for subgroups are larger. Sampling, data collection and tabulation by TNS of Horsham, Pa.

*= less than 0.5 percent

1. Do you think things in this country (are generally going in the right direction) or do you feel things (have gotten pretty seriously off on the wrong track)?

10. For each issue I name, please tell me what kind of priority you think Obama and the Congress should give it - the highest priority, a high priority but not the highest, or a lower priority than that?

12. Would you support or oppose new federal spending of about 800 billion dollars on tax cuts, construction projects, energy, education, and health care to try to stimulate the economy? Do you feel that way strongly or somewhat?

* "up to 700 billion dollars on construction projects and other programs"

13. Which of these do you think is more important right now - (increasing federal spending to try to improve the economy, even if it sharply increases the federal budget deficit); or (avoiding a big increase in the federal budget deficit, even if it means not increasing federal spending to try to improve the economy)?

Increasing spending Avoiding deficit No opinion
1/16/09 51 44 4

14. How confident are you that Obama's economic program will improve the economy - very confident, fairly confident, not very confident or not confident at all?

15. (ASKED IF CONFIDENT IN Q14) Do you think it will take more than a year for the program to work, or less than a year, or what?

More than Less than Many years Working now No
a year a year (vol.) (vol.) opinion
1/16/09 91 7 1 0 1
Compare to: Reagan
10/11/82 LV 90 5 3 * 2
Question 16 held for future release.

17. In another program, the federal government has approved using up to 700 billion dollars to help shore up financial institutions in an attempt to help stabilize the economy. Half of that money has been used. Do you support or oppose now making the other half available to troubled financial institutions?

Support Oppose No opinion
1/16/09 39 58 3

18a. (ASKED OF HALF SAMPLE) How confident are you that the federal government will put in place adequate controls to avoid waste and fraud in the use of federal money in the economic recovery effort? Are you very confident, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?

18b. (ASKED OF HALF SAMPLE) How confident are you that the federal government will create a way average Americans can check on how federal money in the economic recovery effort is being spent? Are you very confident, somewhat confident, not so confident or not confident at all?

NET Very Somewhat NET Not so Not at all opinion
1/16/09 44 6 38 56 32 24 *

19. Generally speaking, would you say you favor (smaller government with fewer services), or (larger government with more services)?

21. Please tell me whether the following statement applies to Obama, or not?

1/16/09 - Summary Table*
Yes No No opinion
a. He understands the problems
of people like you 72 24 4
b. He is a strong leader 72 18 10
c. He can be trusted in a
crisis 69 18 13
d. He is willing to listen to

20. Do you think the country's current financial situation is a crisis, a serious problem but not a crisis, a problem but not a serious one, or not much of a problem at all?

29. On another subject, all in all, considering the costs to the United States versus the benefits to the United States, do you think the war with Iraq was worth fighting, or not? Do you feel that way STRONGLY or SOMEWHAT?

30. Obama has proposed withdrawing five-thousand to ten-thousand U.S. forces from Iraq each month over the next 16 months. Do you think the U.S. should withdraw its military forces from Iraq more (quickly) than that, more (slowly), or is that about right?

More quickly More slowly About right No opinion
1/16/09 15 26 55 4

31. Thinking now about Afghanistan, do you think the number of U.S. military forces in Afghanistan should be (increased), (decreased), or kept about the same?

32. Do you think the United States should continue to hold suspected terrorists at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, or should it find another way to deal with these terrorism suspects?

Continue to hold Find another way No
at Guantanamo to deal with them opinion
1/16/09 42 53 5

33. (IF FIND ANOTHER WAY TO DEAL WITH SUSPECTS) Which would you prefer - for the United States to (put these terrorism suspects on trial in the regular U.S. court system), or for the United States to (send them for trial in their home countries)?

Put on trial in Send them for trial No
U.S. system in home countries opinion
1/16/09 62 33 5
32/33 NET
------- Find another way --------
Continue to hold Trial Trial in No No
at Guantanamo NET in U.S. home country op. opinion
1/16/09 42 53 33 17 3 5

34. Obama has said that under his administration the United States will not use torture as part of the U.S. campaign against terrorism, no matter what the circumstance. Do you support this position not to use torture, or do you think there are cases in which the United States should consider torture against terrorism suspects?

Support not There are cases
using torture to consider torture No opinion
1/16/09 58 40 2

35a. (HALF SAMPLE) Do you think the Obama administration should or should not investigate whether any laws were broken in the way terrorism suspects were treated under the Bush administration?

Should Should not No opinion
1/16/09 50 47 2

35b. (HALF SAMPLE) Would you support or oppose Bush issuing a pardon to prevent criminal charges against anyone in the federal government who carried out his administration's policy on the treatment of terrorism suspects?

Support Oppose No opinion
1/16/09 42 52 6

36. On another subject, do you support or oppose loosening the current restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research?

Support Oppose No opinion
1/16/09 59 35 6
4/15/07 60 36 4
1/19/07 55 38 7
Compare to:
The federal government provides funding to support a variety of medical research. Do you think federal funding for medical research should or should not include funding for stem-cell research?
Should Should not No opinion
7/30/01 60 36 3
6/24/01 60 31 9

37. Changing topics, how big a problem is racism in our society today? Is it a big problem, somewhat of a problem, a small problem or not a problem at all?

(ASKED OF NON-WHITES) Have you personally ever felt that [ITEM] just because of your race, or not? IF NOT: As far as you're aware, has that ever happened to a close friend or someone in your immediate family?

901. Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as (a Democrat), (a Republican), an independent or what? IF NOT DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN: Do you lean more towards the (Democratic Party) or (Republican Party)?